This invention relates to an image recording system, and more particularly to an image developing medium on which a developer is carried to react to dye precursors streamed out of microcapsules coated on a latent image carrier.
An image recording system employing the above image developing medium has been proposed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,209 or Japanese Patent Provisional Publication Nos. SHO61-137749, SHO61-143738 or SHO61173981. In such an image recording system, the image developing medium (for instance, a paper sheet coated with a developing agent thereon) prepared and fabricated by Paper Makers is utilized as well as the microcapsule sheet also prepared and fabricated by Paper Makers. In the above image recording system, a latent image is first formed on the microcapsule sheet by exposing an optical image corresponding to the image to be recorded. In other words, the mechanical strength of the microcapsules coated on the area where the light is exposed varies and the microcapsules whose mechanical strength is lower are ruptured when the pressure is applied thereto, thereby the dye precursors enveloped in the ruptured microcapsules stream out and react to the color developing agent coated on the image developing medium to develop a visible image corresponding to the latent image on the microcapsule sheet.
In the prior image recording system, however, as the image developing medium prepared and fabricated by the Paper Makers must be used, it was impossible for a user to select the materials of the image developing medium as it pleases. In other words, the materials of the image developing medium are restricted to ones supplied by Paper Makers such as papers and the like, and was impossible to record the image on the image developing medium whose material is other than supplied by Paper Makers.